BACKGROUND: Safety inspections of the shop, parts, and car wash area have revealed that many employees are not wearing appropriate footwear that will protect them from foot injuries caused by crushing or falling objects, such as a rotor or a battery. Penetrating actions may happen from a sharp object left on the shop floor. Also, footwear in the shop area must be slip resistant when employees are working on slippery surfaces, since slip hazards are common due to accidental spills of lubricants in the shop. The porters in car wash are also subject to slip and fall hazards created by water and/or soap on the floor, and as such, their shoes must provide traction.
OSHA
Accident Investigation: The Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How, May 2015
Accident investigation should be the cornerstone of any safety program. Many safety programs concentrate on safety inspections and training, but omit accident investigation. Investigating accidents is not only a good idea, but also a requirement. Below, we provide some guidance and tools to complete an accident investigation.
Recordable Injury vs. Reportable Injury, March 2015
RECORDABLE: Federal-OSHA requires auto dealers to keep a record of occupational injuries and illnesses using Log of Work-Related Injuries & Illnesses (OSHA Form 300). We discussed this in great detail in our October 2014 Newsletter. We note that first-aid is not recordable on OSHA Log 300. The federal legal definition of first-aid is as follows:
Accident Reporting to OSHA & Injury Log Requirements, October 2014
OSHA INJURY LOG REQUIREMENTS
LOG 300, 300A & 301 REQUIRED FOR AUTO DEALERS
Background: Prior to January 1, 2002 Cal/OSHA required auto dealers and other employers to keep an injury log known as OSHA Log 200. Starting January 1, 2002, Fed-OSHA enacted Log 300, replacing the Log 200, but kept auto dealers exempt. Good news was that California joined the Feds on 1/1/2002 and kept auto dealers exempt from logging requirements, as stated here.
First Aid, CPR, and AED: Regulation and Good Practice, August 2014
Background: Dealers have recently been looking at providing Automatic External Defibrillators (AED) in their showrooms and debating whether to provide training to employees to render first-aid and CPR. In this newsletter, we discuss the regulatory requirements for first-aid kits, training for employees on first-aid & CPR, and AED.
Grinder Safety, July 2011
Download Available: Grinder Safety
Background: Shop or bench grinders are commonly used in automotive shop areas. Violations with OSHA standards in operation of these grinders are very common. Typically, these violations are rated serious and could easily be assessed as “willful & serious” i.e., the employer should have knowledge of this very common shop equipment. Repeat violations can really mount up. Fed-OSHA records from October 2006 thru September 2007 indicate that in the Manufacturing Industry grinders accounted for 974 citations with an average penalty of $354. It was the 9th most cited violation. Recently an auto service shop has been assessed a 75K penalty and this causes us to visit the safety issues related to abrasive wheel grinders.
New Federal Law on Personal Protective Equipment, January 2008
Many Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) health & safety standards require employers to provide their employees with protective equipment, including personal protective equipment (PPE), when such equipment is necessary to protect employees from job-related injuries, illnesses, and fatalities. These requirements address PPE of many kinds: hard hats, gloves, goggles, safety shoes, safety glasses, goggles, face shields, chemical protective equipment, and so forth. They state that the employer is to provide such PPE. However, these provisions do not specify that the employer is to provide such PPE at no cost to the employee. Continue reading
The Heat is On, May 2006
Background: As summer approaches, and the mercury rises, the probability of an employee illness due to heat stroke/stress rises as well. We write this memo to make you aware of these issues so you can minimize or rather eliminate loss time and other losses due to heat illnesses.
Jail Time? May 2004
There are a few acts of omission or commission by the management that can get them to jail, i.e., the act is considered criminal in nature. Consider the case where a hoist in the shop is “jumping” (mal-functioning). The technician walks into the office of the Service Manager and informs that the hoist is not working and needs immediate repair. The Service Manager is busy in his every day chores and burdened with mounting expenses for the month, delays the repair of the hoist to the next month. Two weeks later, a car falls off the mal-functioning hoist and the operator employee is killed.
Investigate Accidents, Log 300, Workers’ Compensation, etc., April 2002
Investigate Accidents: Save Money & Fight Fraud
A prompt, accurate and thoughtful accident investigation can, simply stated, save money and fight fraud. First, it is state law that mandates that an employer investigate each accident and take corrective measures to prevent repetition of accidents. Secondly, a written investigation report can be reviewed by senior management or the safety committee to undertake steps that would prevent such accidents in the future. Last and not the least, such reports can be useful ammo in fighting the 3F–Fictitious, Fraudulent or Frivolous claims. In summary, as an employer, it is your duty to provide a safe workplace and also to ensure that any worker’s compensation claim is legitimate and preventable in the future.
Celly Services Inc. 